I've been meaning to write up a trip report of the month I just spent in Coz but for now, here's an incomplete list of the places we ate at. I've tried to include approximate locations also.
Careycitos (sp) - on 65, north of the shell; menu is very limited; we had an excellent and very filling shredded chicken soup and lime. Dinner for two - about $4.
Tio Jose Bar and Grill - on what used to be called 11th (now Quintana Roo) and about one block east of 65. It's really quite beautiful and small with nice soft jazz music and good art. We were the only ones dining that evening; it looks like there is also a nice cocktail bar. We drove past one day in the early afternoon and it appeared much busier. They served a really nice mixed tapas plate before our main course. I had poc chuk (or something like that). Was 'way more than I could eat although my husband cleaned his plate of grilled fish. Diner for two - about $20.
Los Otates - on 15th, kind of downtown; went a couple of times. Tacos and beer. Dinner for two: $10. Even open Christmas Day (although the one waiter was run off his feet!).
Los Seras - on 30th, about 5 or 6 blocks south of San Francisco. Went a couple of times. Tacos al pastor (sometimes you get pineapple with and sometimes not), with horchata or jamaica for us; Jim and Donna swear by the tortas. Dinner for two - $7-10. Doesn't really get hopping until about 8 or 9 p.m. when locals come by for takeout.
Market loncheria - I forget which stall number but we each had sopa de lima and horchata. Couldn't finish it, it was so large a serving. Lunch for two - about $10. These places are popular with the cruise ship staff, and locals. Off of 30th or so, between Rosada Salas and 1st or 2nd I think. This is also where I buy orange juice.
Senor Taco - New Year's Eve! On Juarez, just east of 55 or 55BIS. Tacos al pastor as I recall and beer. We treated our friends at Baldwin's B&B so dinner for the 4 of us was about $15 or 20.
San Carlos Pescadario - 50 BIS just off Rosada Salas. Went there a couple of times for the excellent fresh fish and ceviche. He's recently expanded his hours of operation to 5 p.m. theoretically but often sells out long before then. When the fresh fish for the day is gone, he closes, so try and get there around 2 p.m. Very popular take-out with locals. The shrimp ceviche (at about $10) nicely serves two people. I ordered one order for myself and then brought the rest home for another meal a day or so later for the two of us (just added some avacado and mango to extend it a bit). The next time we went, the owner sat with us, talked about his pre-restaurant life as a fisherman, and treated us to a free order of fish ceviche. Every time I go to this place, he's improved it. Latest addition is a small bar. Beer is $1.25. Dinner for two with beer ranges between $10 and $20. People I've sent to it say it's the best fish they've ever had.
La Perla - around 70th and about 12th. Came highly recommended to me but I was less than impressed. I had crab burritos. Lots of people say the shrimp is very good.
Cocteleria de la Caribe - on 65...don't have the connecting street but you can't miss it...it's just a block or two south of what used to be 11th. Big parking lot, brand new green building, big sign. I'm told they recently moved in there from a more modest location further down the street that was always packed. Nicely decorated in a modern way. We were the only ones in the restaurant that evening, but they seem to do more business in the afternoon. I had grilled fish with garlic which was excellent but again, more than I could eat. I thought the place was a bit pricey - $12 or $13 each for supper.
El Moro - this was our first trip to this venerable establishment which is surprising, given how many times we've been to Coz. It's on a residential side-street a few blocks east of the shell (around 90th or so?) but there are lots of signs to guide you getting there. Again, I had poc chuk and my husband had shrimp. Again, more than I could eat. Dinner for two, with a beer each, was about $20, including complimentary post-dinner local liquor.
Loncheria Susi - small mom and pop place on corner of 65 and about 2nd. Grilled pork chop tacos and beer for two - about $10 or $12. English not spoken here.
Especias - they've moved! Nice location upstairs on 3rd between 5 and 10. I forget what we had but it was good. About $20 or $30 for the two of us for dinner.
Chilangos - on 30th, across the street and north of Los Seras. We each had a hurache (sp) with potato, cactus and cheese. And a beer. Dinner for two - $7.
Carne Diaz - this is a breakfast/brunch kind of place, with at least two and maybe 3 locations in town. I went by myself one morning to the one on 65 (just off 2nd) and my husband and I went to the one up around 80 and what used to be 11th. Some kind of roasted chopped pork tacos. Breakfast for 1 - $2. Breakfast for 2, with soft drinks - $5 or $6.
Sonora Grill - somewhere downtown - scubaboard dinner. We each had grilled pork chop dinner. I forget the total damage as it was our last night in Coz and ordered more beer than we usually drink. I think our main course was about $10 each. It was OK for a big group, but not a place I'd seek out on my own.
El Picque - across from San Francisco on 30th. More tacos al pastor. Dinner for two, with a beer is about $8.
Rendezblu - Next to Caribe Blu. I like the beef fajitas but also had grilled cheese sandwich, clubhouse, and tacos/cheese and guacamole on different days - usually with jamaica but a couple of times with beer. Service is pleasant but costs are a bit high. Lunch for one usually ran me around $7-8 with the tip in.
A few other places I have forgotten the names of - I bought some bean and egg tacos from the guy who carries them around in a pot at the caleta, and a chicken torta at the small restaurant there (soup wasn't ready yet). There was a small restaurant on 65, just north of the shell where we had, what else, tacos. Supper for two (including soft drinks) was about $6. Breakfast one morning at the cafe next to El Marques. Some kind of eggs on corn tortillas, coffee and orange juice for about $6 each. Picked up half a grilled chicken from a place around the corner from us on Juarez just east of the shell one day for lunch for the two of us. A stack of tortillas, marinated onions, hot sauce, and (I think beans) for $3.50. Would be great for a picnic as you head to the other side of the island. The Cuban restaurant on 5th - we stopped in for a mojito but decided to order some pork chop tacos also. Some of the more expensive tacos we had in Coz but great mojitos!
I've probably missed a few spots but you get the drift. You can eat very inexpensively and very well. But I'm with whoever said "look at places where the gringos aren't" and are packed with locals. That's where you'll get the best food for the best value. Those places don't cater to the tourist trade which is pretty fickle, but instead rely on local traffic which comes day after day after day....and they wouldn't if prices were goofy or if the food made them sick.
P.S. We rented Jim and Donna Baldwin's excellent house (and shared it with them for a while also!) back on 70th which was an excellent value - so much so that we rented a car for the entire duration of our trip. Jim said it wasn't a secret that they are going to start to rent it to others (we were the guinea pigs) and so if you want to stay at a nice, clean place back in the 'hood, drop him a line. During our visit, they added a gas bar-b-que, some plants (which were literally planted into the evening with the light of a dive light!), and patio furniture. A full kitchen, individual bathrooms for each bedroom, a washing machine, DVDs, books - what more could you want? Oh, did I mention no telephone? That was the BEST. Just as I was about to leave the country, my office asked how they could get a hold of me should the need arise. I replied "you can't".
Careycitos (sp) - on 65, north of the shell; menu is very limited; we had an excellent and very filling shredded chicken soup and lime. Dinner for two - about $4.
Tio Jose Bar and Grill - on what used to be called 11th (now Quintana Roo) and about one block east of 65. It's really quite beautiful and small with nice soft jazz music and good art. We were the only ones dining that evening; it looks like there is also a nice cocktail bar. We drove past one day in the early afternoon and it appeared much busier. They served a really nice mixed tapas plate before our main course. I had poc chuk (or something like that). Was 'way more than I could eat although my husband cleaned his plate of grilled fish. Diner for two - about $20.
Los Otates - on 15th, kind of downtown; went a couple of times. Tacos and beer. Dinner for two: $10. Even open Christmas Day (although the one waiter was run off his feet!).
Los Seras - on 30th, about 5 or 6 blocks south of San Francisco. Went a couple of times. Tacos al pastor (sometimes you get pineapple with and sometimes not), with horchata or jamaica for us; Jim and Donna swear by the tortas. Dinner for two - $7-10. Doesn't really get hopping until about 8 or 9 p.m. when locals come by for takeout.
Market loncheria - I forget which stall number but we each had sopa de lima and horchata. Couldn't finish it, it was so large a serving. Lunch for two - about $10. These places are popular with the cruise ship staff, and locals. Off of 30th or so, between Rosada Salas and 1st or 2nd I think. This is also where I buy orange juice.
Senor Taco - New Year's Eve! On Juarez, just east of 55 or 55BIS. Tacos al pastor as I recall and beer. We treated our friends at Baldwin's B&B so dinner for the 4 of us was about $15 or 20.
San Carlos Pescadario - 50 BIS just off Rosada Salas. Went there a couple of times for the excellent fresh fish and ceviche. He's recently expanded his hours of operation to 5 p.m. theoretically but often sells out long before then. When the fresh fish for the day is gone, he closes, so try and get there around 2 p.m. Very popular take-out with locals. The shrimp ceviche (at about $10) nicely serves two people. I ordered one order for myself and then brought the rest home for another meal a day or so later for the two of us (just added some avacado and mango to extend it a bit). The next time we went, the owner sat with us, talked about his pre-restaurant life as a fisherman, and treated us to a free order of fish ceviche. Every time I go to this place, he's improved it. Latest addition is a small bar. Beer is $1.25. Dinner for two with beer ranges between $10 and $20. People I've sent to it say it's the best fish they've ever had.
La Perla - around 70th and about 12th. Came highly recommended to me but I was less than impressed. I had crab burritos. Lots of people say the shrimp is very good.
Cocteleria de la Caribe - on 65...don't have the connecting street but you can't miss it...it's just a block or two south of what used to be 11th. Big parking lot, brand new green building, big sign. I'm told they recently moved in there from a more modest location further down the street that was always packed. Nicely decorated in a modern way. We were the only ones in the restaurant that evening, but they seem to do more business in the afternoon. I had grilled fish with garlic which was excellent but again, more than I could eat. I thought the place was a bit pricey - $12 or $13 each for supper.
El Moro - this was our first trip to this venerable establishment which is surprising, given how many times we've been to Coz. It's on a residential side-street a few blocks east of the shell (around 90th or so?) but there are lots of signs to guide you getting there. Again, I had poc chuk and my husband had shrimp. Again, more than I could eat. Dinner for two, with a beer each, was about $20, including complimentary post-dinner local liquor.
Loncheria Susi - small mom and pop place on corner of 65 and about 2nd. Grilled pork chop tacos and beer for two - about $10 or $12. English not spoken here.
Especias - they've moved! Nice location upstairs on 3rd between 5 and 10. I forget what we had but it was good. About $20 or $30 for the two of us for dinner.
Chilangos - on 30th, across the street and north of Los Seras. We each had a hurache (sp) with potato, cactus and cheese. And a beer. Dinner for two - $7.
Carne Diaz - this is a breakfast/brunch kind of place, with at least two and maybe 3 locations in town. I went by myself one morning to the one on 65 (just off 2nd) and my husband and I went to the one up around 80 and what used to be 11th. Some kind of roasted chopped pork tacos. Breakfast for 1 - $2. Breakfast for 2, with soft drinks - $5 or $6.
Sonora Grill - somewhere downtown - scubaboard dinner. We each had grilled pork chop dinner. I forget the total damage as it was our last night in Coz and ordered more beer than we usually drink. I think our main course was about $10 each. It was OK for a big group, but not a place I'd seek out on my own.
El Picque - across from San Francisco on 30th. More tacos al pastor. Dinner for two, with a beer is about $8.
Rendezblu - Next to Caribe Blu. I like the beef fajitas but also had grilled cheese sandwich, clubhouse, and tacos/cheese and guacamole on different days - usually with jamaica but a couple of times with beer. Service is pleasant but costs are a bit high. Lunch for one usually ran me around $7-8 with the tip in.
A few other places I have forgotten the names of - I bought some bean and egg tacos from the guy who carries them around in a pot at the caleta, and a chicken torta at the small restaurant there (soup wasn't ready yet). There was a small restaurant on 65, just north of the shell where we had, what else, tacos. Supper for two (including soft drinks) was about $6. Breakfast one morning at the cafe next to El Marques. Some kind of eggs on corn tortillas, coffee and orange juice for about $6 each. Picked up half a grilled chicken from a place around the corner from us on Juarez just east of the shell one day for lunch for the two of us. A stack of tortillas, marinated onions, hot sauce, and (I think beans) for $3.50. Would be great for a picnic as you head to the other side of the island. The Cuban restaurant on 5th - we stopped in for a mojito but decided to order some pork chop tacos also. Some of the more expensive tacos we had in Coz but great mojitos!
I've probably missed a few spots but you get the drift. You can eat very inexpensively and very well. But I'm with whoever said "look at places where the gringos aren't" and are packed with locals. That's where you'll get the best food for the best value. Those places don't cater to the tourist trade which is pretty fickle, but instead rely on local traffic which comes day after day after day....and they wouldn't if prices were goofy or if the food made them sick.
P.S. We rented Jim and Donna Baldwin's excellent house (and shared it with them for a while also!) back on 70th which was an excellent value - so much so that we rented a car for the entire duration of our trip. Jim said it wasn't a secret that they are going to start to rent it to others (we were the guinea pigs) and so if you want to stay at a nice, clean place back in the 'hood, drop him a line. During our visit, they added a gas bar-b-que, some plants (which were literally planted into the evening with the light of a dive light!), and patio furniture. A full kitchen, individual bathrooms for each bedroom, a washing machine, DVDs, books - what more could you want? Oh, did I mention no telephone? That was the BEST. Just as I was about to leave the country, my office asked how they could get a hold of me should the need arise. I replied "you can't".
